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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28329927">Sunkissed</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melancholy_Daydreamer/pseuds/Melancholy_Daydreamer'>Melancholy_Daydreamer</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Six - Marlow/Moss</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, One-Shot, anne has trouble focusing but it's okay, its just one word so, jane and anna are briefly mentioned, just thought this song was good, lots of fluff, mostly this is just parrlyn and beheaded cousins stuff, not sure, queendom secret santa gift, songfic??, there is mild profanity, this was kinda experimental, yay</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 18:07:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,606</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28329927</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melancholy_Daydreamer/pseuds/Melancholy_Daydreamer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Anne is determined to play a certain song for her girlfriend on their anniversary. Turns out it's a little harder than she thought.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Anne Boleyn &amp; Katherine Howard, Anne Boleyn/Catherine Parr</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Sunkissed</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Useless_Lesbian123/gifts">Useless_Lesbian123</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hey y'all! This is some Parrlyn fluff I wrote for the Queendom secret santa! This is for tiredlesbian123 on Tumblr! (Hopefully I tagged the right person on ao3 eek)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Anne wasn’t known for being a patient person.</p><p>She always got antsy whenever things went slowly. Why wait for something when you could be doing something else during that time? ‘Taking it Slow’ wasn’t exactly present in her vocabulary.</p><p>So when she strove to learn the ukulele and play something for Cathy on their 4th anniversary, the second queen found herself getting increasingly more and more frustrated. She thought it would be easy since singing came so naturally to her, but the longer she rewound that damned tutorial video over and over again, the more she felt like planting her face into a wall. Why was it so <b>difficult?</b></p><p>She knew that the day of the anniversary drew nearer and nearer, and yet she was still trying to remember the chords she had to play in order to get the right sound. She groaned, placing the instrument beside her, and splayed out on the bed, rubbing her temples with the balls of her fingers. It was at that moment that her cousin, Katherine walked into the room, giving her cousin a small smile.</p><p>“Still working on that song, Annie?” She said softly, moving aside the notes strewn all over the covers of her bed before sitting down beside Anne.</p><p>“It just doesn’t sound <b>right</b>,” Anne grumbled, smothering her face into her pillow and muffling her words. “The tutorials make it sound so easy. And quick to learn. It’s been 2 hours.”</p><p>“No one said learning was easy, Anne.” Kat chuckled lightly. “We all learn at different speeds, and instruments are certainly no easy feat. How long did you think it took for me to learn the flute and the lute?”</p><p>“Well, judging by how you’ve mastered two instruments and I haven’t even learned one, you tell me, Ms. Music Prodigy.” Anne snarked.</p><p>“I learned over years, and you’re learning over 2 weeks,” Kat protested back, lightly swatting Anne. “Did you take my advice and ask Maggie? I was certain she would’ve been some help.”</p><p>“She knows me too well, and that woman doesn’t know how to keep a secret. The moment I ask her, she’s gonna know that I’m putting the extra effort for something special, and my surprise is gonna go flying out of the window.” The second queen gave a despondent sigh. “Maybe I should just give up and give her roses like I usually do? But that’s so <em> boring </em>… But I only have 2 weeks…” She mumbled aloud to herself, face still buried in her pillow.</p><p>Kat frowned at her cousin’s distress. She gazed at the small, wooden instrument that sat abandoned next to her cousin, and she gingerly picked it up and ran her fingers across the strings. It was plastered with little assorted stickers, contrasting the warm, ambient browns of the polished wood. The sound of the instrument actually bore a striking similarity to the lute, and a small idea began forming in her head.</p><p>“Actually…” She started slowly, digging out the knowledge from her past life and experimentally strumming a few chords, testing things out. “I may be able to teach you a few things to get you started.”</p><p>Anne bolted up so fast Kat was surprised that she didn’t get whiplash. “You’d do that?”</p><p>Kat giggled, plucking a few of the strings sheepishly. “No guarantees here. I haven’t played an instrument for a long time, so I might need a little recap myself. But anything for my favorite cousin.” Anne threw herself around Kat, exclaiming thank-yous as Kat returned the hug, being careful not to break the ukulele in her hands.</p><p>“Also, don’t tell Jane I said that.”</p><p>+++</p><p>The next morning, Anne was already pumped up and ready to learn, a few hours of sleep enough to freshen up her perspective and enthusiasm to learn. Kat had asked Anna to take Cathy out clothes-shopping, so Anne didn’t have to worry about Cathy walking in on the lesson. Her cousin, punctual and as ready as she ever was, waited patiently for Anne to close the door to their room. She was sitting cross-legged on the floor, Anne’s ukulele in her hands and her laptop screen facing her, having already tuned the instrument to perfection. A notepad sat neatly beside her, a far cry from the disorganized chaos of Anne’s notes the night prior. </p><p>“I can see why you chose this song in particular,” A playful smile worked up Kat’s lips as Anne came over to sit down, her fingers catching on the strings as she gave the ukulele a strum. “If it weren’t for the music artist, I would’ve thought that you wrote it specifically just for Cathy. It’s cute and it fits.” </p><p>Anne felt a small blush creep onto her face. It was true. The moment she’d listened to it, she knew that it was the right song. It was already ingrained so deep in her brain that she’d might as well have written it herself. Her mind wandered and she thought of Cathy, her sunkissed features and curly locks of dark earthy hair, those eyes that twinkled like sapphires…</p><p>Damn, she loved her so much.</p><p>The sound of Kat snapping her fingers in front of her face startled her out of her lovesick haze. The mirth-filled smirk on her cousin’s face made it apparent that she already knew what, or who she was thinking of. “Not even a minute in and you’re already turning into a goopy mess, huh?” She said lightheartedly, poking fun of Anne’s flushed cheeks. “We have a lot to cover, so you gotta get your head in the game.”</p><p>First to learn were the chords.</p><p>Katherine knew that Anne had a focus problem, and that led to more issues with memory, so it wasn’t hard to see that it would be their first obstacle. Her cousin would zone out if she talked for too long, so she did her best to keep explanations to a minimum and demonstrations as much as possible. She still struggled with remembering where to place her fingers or which arrangement was the F or the B chord, even after just seconds of Kat telling her which was which. It frustrated her cousin beyond belief, grimacing every time she got it wrong and pressing her fingers so hard against the strings that they would leave angry indents on her fingertips. Kat was too, but she knew that they needed to be patient.</p><p>Anne wasn’t dumb or bad at music, of course not, she was one of the smartest and most talented people Kat knew. But she had to really engage with what Kat was teaching, in order to actually start playing. Maintaining eye contact and gentle encouragement seemed to work best, so Anne was slowly getting the hang of it, even showing off by playing all the chords with her eyes closed (Who was the music prodigy now?). </p><p>Second was to learn how to transition smoothly.</p><p>After a few days of practicing and memorization, Kat moved onto the act of playing all the chords in succession. Up until now, Anne had just been throwing all of them into the air in a cacophony of clashing notes, without any clear connection or indication that they were a song or melody. She had to learn how to put them together, and move fluidly from one chord to another. </p><p>Anne, having regained confidence after memorizing all the chords, threw herself into practicing. Whenever she could practice, she would drag Kat into their room and play her a verse or two, eventually abandoning the need for sheet music overtime. She had to get used to singing along with her ukelele too, dividing her attention between the two actions. Then it was just practicing, practicing and more practicing, up until the day that Anne was due to play for Cathy. Anne was going to practice until her arms fell off and her voice was reduced to a whisper, just to prepare.</p><p>Cathy, on the other hand, was getting noticeably suspicious.</p><p>She respected Anne’s space and privacy, but for the past few days, Anne always seemed to be holed up in her room, alongside Kat. It wasn’t unusual for the two cousins to be close and to keep secrets, but their extended stays along with unrelenting curiosity were getting the better of her. She had asked the other day, but Anne only smiled knowingly, and the only response she’d gotten was:</p><p>“You gotta wait and see, <em> mon étoile brillante. </em>”</p><p>Then she gave her a light peck on her cheek and walked away. Cathy was just left with more questions, but only watched as Anne closed the door in front of her. Anne knew that her girlfriend hated the enigma of not knowing things, as it only led to spacing out at inconvenient times, disrupting her work. She also knew that Cathy wasn’t just curious, but stubborn. Along with Anne’s brash and careless behavior, a secret wasn’t bound to be a secret for long.</p><p>Like that one time when Anne decided to practice out in the living room.</p><p>It seemed like a good idea at the time, Kat having gone out with Anna and Cathy sound asleep after a night of writing. It was a perfect opportunity to play by herself, and just jam out on the couch to her heart’s content. In fact, she was so into it, that she failed to notice that her impromptu jam session happened to wake up Cathy. Nor did she notice the writer walking up behind her, instead focusing intently on the lyrics.</p><p>“Hey Anne, what’re you doing?” Cathy yawned tiredly, brushing her dark locks of hair out of her face and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.</p><p>
  <em> Shit. </em>
</p><p>Anne startled mid-verse, practically jumping out of her skin as she scrambled to cover the ukulele with some of the couch cushions and whirling around so fast to face Cathy that her hair whipped her face, leaving an uncomfortable itching sensation in its wake. “I- um- I was just singing a song I had stuck in my head.”</p><p>The writer blinked slowly. “Mhm. Thought I heard a ukulele though?”</p><p>A part of the second queen celebrated quietly that Cathy wasn’t focused on the lyrics. They were a dead giveaway to the surprise, after all. “Just an instrumental I had goin’ on my phone.”</p><p>“That’s cool.” Cathy hugged her arms, shivering slightly. “Also, when did it get so cold all of a sudden?”</p><p>“The weather forecast said we’ve got snow coming in a few days, chère. Just in time for our special day, too.” Anne flashed her a loving smile. “Why don’t you go get dressed in something a little warmer, then I’ll make you something to eat. How do pancakes and coffee sound?” She stood up and hopped over the couch, making sure that the ukulele was still out of sight. </p><p>“Alright. Can we have waffles today instead?”</p><p>“Of course, mon chéri. Go on, before you get a cold.” She pressed a firm kiss on Cathy’s forehead, and the writer leaned into it, melting into the contact before she pulled away and headed back into her room.</p><p>A wave of relief washed over Anne, and she quickly snatched up her ukulele up from under the cushions and ran back to her room, shoving the ukulele back into its case. <em> Too close. </em></p><p>Safe to say, Anne always retreated back into the safety of her room whenever she wanted to practice. She had been lucky this time, and she severely doubted that there would be a second.</p><p>Fortunately, there were no other mishaps for the rest of the days leading up to the anniversary.</p><p>+++</p><p>Today was the day.</p><p>And Anne, in typical Anne fashion, was feeling extremely restless. She had barely gotten enough sleep last night, having worried the night away. The second queen was currently pacing the floor with such rigor that Kat was afraid the floorboards might catch fire.</p><p>“Kat, this was a horrible idea. I should’ve just gotten her a bouquet and chocolates like I usually do, and just be done with that. I’m totally gonna mess up and it’ll be ruined…” Anne began chewing on her nails in agitation, trying to vent out her nervousness. </p><p>“Annie, look at me,” Kat said sharply, and Anne stopped to look at her. “You will be <em> fine. </em> You’ve been practicing for two weeks straight, every moment you can, and it’s enough.” Her tone softened. “Even if you do make a mistake, Cathy isn’t going to hate you for it. She loves you, and she doesn’t need it to be perfect. She just wants to be with <em> you. </em>Do you understand?” Anne nodded and Kat handed her ukulele to her older cousin, a smile spreading across her face. “I’m proud of you, Annie. You’ll do good, okay?”</p><p>The corners of Anne’s mouth quirked into a quick upwards flick, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared.</p><p>“What if she doesn’t like it?”</p><p>“She won’t. She’s gonna love it.”</p><p>The last of her doubt gone, Anne stepped outside her room, taking a deep breath. Cathy didn’t appear to be in the living room or in the kitchen, so she resolved to hide her ukulele under the couch cushions, as she had done before on that day. When she had arranged them to look less obvious, the one Anne had been waiting for creaked open her door, right on time.</p><p>Cathy was naturally prone to feeling cold, so she was wrapped up in a thick blue fleece sweater, and dark grey pajama bottoms, having just woken up. Her hair was down and ruffled slightly, curling and tumbling down her shoulders. Anne’s attire wasn’t really anything different, having just thrown on her green hoodie and some black leggings, and her space buns already tied, courtesy of Kat.</p><p>Anne couldn’t stop a familiar smirk from creeping up her lips as watched her girlfriend slowly approach her. It was evident that Cathy looked a little apprehensive, her head tilted down slightly and hands fidgeting the loose bow of the wrapped present in her hands. Anne took an instant interest in it, eyeing it curiously until Cathy was right in front of her.</p><p>“Morning, Cathy.” Anne made the first move to speak, her prior worry already starting to fade. “Happy anniversary.”</p><p>Cathy gave her a small smile, her cheeks darkening. “Happy anniversary, Anne. Here you go.” The writer handed the gift to her, wrapped in blue and green wrapping paper(much to the delight of Anne, noting their respective colors). She immediately began to open it, although she took caution in being careful not to shred her girlfriend’s handiwork. Inside, was a stuffed bumblebee plush, the perfect size to fit under the crook of Anne’s arms. It had two black specks for eyes and floppy legs and antennae, but the most noticeable thing about it was that it was a shade of parakeet green, her favorite color.</p><p>“Do you like it?” Cathy asked anxiously, shuffling her feet.</p><p>“Oh Cathy,” Anne pulled her into a hug, lowering her voice into a soft murmur. “It’s absolutely perfect.” </p><p>Cathy giggled, relieved, while Anne pulled back and gave an exaggerated thinking pose, tapping her chin in thought. “What should I name her? How about… Beelyn the Second?” The survivor’s giggles turned into full-blown laughter.</p><p>“That’s…. a horrible pun,” She managed to breathe out. “But she’s yours now, so I’m not one to complain.”</p><p>“It’s a fantastic name, and you shouldn’t be complaining.” Anne puffed out her chest in mock-offense. “My turn to give you something. Why don’t you take a seat, while I get a steaming cup of coffee for m’lady?” Now it was Cathy’s turn to smirk.</p><p>“That’s my gift?” She teased, raising an eyebrow. “I get you a stuffed bee, and you make me coffee, something that I already drink on a regular basis?” The writer pretended to pout in disappointment.</p><p>The green queen flicked her hand, dismissing her playfully. “Oh shush, you. You know that’s not what the gift is. Just give me a moment, mon chéri, and I’ll be back with your coffee, just the way you like it.” She handed the stuffed bumblebee to her and gestured to the empty space on the couch, where Cathy took a seat, hugging the toy close for warmth.</p><p>As the coffee machine in the kitchen sputtered to life with a steady purr, Cathy watched as drifts of snow piled up in their backyard garden, covering the lawn in a thick layer of fluffy, white blanket. The weather forecast wasn’t kidding about the snowfall, this was the most snow Cathy had ever seen in a long time. </p><p>When Anne finally returned, coffee mugs in hand, Cathy took one, cradling the cup in her fingers to feel its warmth, before taking a sip and sighing comfortably. Anne had also brought a large blanket to the couch, draping it over herself and Cathy once she had sat down next to her. Cathy took the opportunity to snuggle up closer to her girlfriend. Anne’s smirk faded into a tender smile.</p><p>“Comfortable?” She asked gently. She got a hum of affirmation in response.</p><p>Anne placed down her cup, having just been filled with hot cocoa instead of coffee(Catalina didn’t trust Anne to have coffee, with all the energy she had already more really wasn’t a good idea) and pulled her ukulele out of the stack of cushions it had been under. Upon seeing it, Cathy’s eyes widened in recognition.</p><p>“I didn’t know you could play,” She murmured softly. “Is that why I heard someone playing the ukulele that day? It was you?” Anne dipped her head, chuckling.</p><p>“You were going to ruin the surprise, so I had to make an excuse somehow.” Anne planted a small kiss on Cathy’s warm skin. “Here goes, I hope you’re more ready than I am.” Steeling her nerves, she inhaled deeply.</p><p><em> “ </em> <em> So slowly a sunlit dream pulls me out of sleep </em></p><p>
  <em> Feel the morning through the blinds </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I get to thinking 'bout your sunkissed face </em>
</p><p>
  <em> And a quiet place where I could give you all my time…” </em>
</p><p>The sound of her girlfriend’s voice along with the melodic strumming of the ukulele washed over her ears, and Cathy couldn’t stop a soft smile from spreading on her lips. It was a fast-paced song, yet gentle and pleasing to the ear. </p><p>
  <em> “... You know I wanna be your rock, my love </em>
</p><p>
  <em> You know I wanna be your light </em>
</p><p>
  <em> In darkness, how you find me just in time </em>
</p><p>
  <em> To tell me what I needed to hear </em>
</p><p>
  <em> So if you don't know what you need </em>
</p><p>
  <em> You can leave it all to me </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Don't want you worried 'bout a thing </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I know you'd do the same for me…” </em>
</p><p>Cathy was mesmerized by Anne’s strumming, and if it weren’t for the intrigue of lyrics, the up and down movements of her girlfriend’s hand would’ve lulled her to sleep. She snuggled even closer to her, and Anne looked away from her playing to give her an adoring grin.</p><p>
  <em> “... 'Cause you're so lovely, you're so lovely </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I can't help but fall for you, love </em>
</p><p>
  <em> When you love me, it's so lovely loving you </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Oh-oh, oh-oh </em>
</p><p>
  <em> So lovely loving you </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Oh-oh, oh-oh…” </em>
</p><p>It was as if Anne had made up the lyrics on the spot, improvising just to compliment her at that very moment. Cathy flushed darker a shade, attempting to hide behind her coffee cup, although the rising steam only highlighted the blush in her cheeks. Anne fit in a short, pleased giggle, faltering her strumming a little before continuing.</p><p>
  <em> “... So softly a tender breeze brush against my knees </em>
</p><p>
  <em> On a summer afternoon </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I get to thinking 'bout the hazy days </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Under August shade that I used to spend with you </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I didn't realize it was all I wanted, what I had </em>
</p><p>
  <em> My riddled heart, I had to cradle back together just to see </em>
</p><p>
  <em> It's all like magic to me, you do magic, baby...” </em>
</p><p>Anne had closed her eyes as she sang that verse, and on the last sentence reopened them, although they were half-lidded, as if Anne was daydreaming. The soft white light that streamed into the living room made them sparkle, her eyes shining like polished emeralds.</p><p>
  <em> “... When you love me, you're so lovely </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I can't help but fall for you, love </em>
</p><p>
  <em> When you love me, it's so lovely loving you </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Oh-oh, oh-oh </em>
</p><p>
  <em> So lovely loving you </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Oh-oh, oh-oh…” </em>
</p><p>On the second chorus, Cathy actually began to hum alongside Anne’s singing. She definitely hadn’t remembered the words, but she wanted to follow alongside her girlfriend’s voice. She enjoyed singing, after all, especially with Anne.</p><p>
  <em> “... So slowly a sunlit dream pulls me out of sleep </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Feel the morning through the blinds </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I turn my head to meet your sunkissed face </em>
</p><p>
  <em> In this quiet place, I can give you all my time~” </em>
</p><p>The second queen finished smoothly, her fingers lingering over the strings as she turned to look over at Cathy.</p><p>“How’d I do?” Anne asked, but judging by the dark blush still present on Cathy’s cheeks and the starstruck look in those azure eyes, she’d already gotten her answer.</p><p>“Anne, I <em> loved </em> it.”</p><p>Then Cathy pulled her girlfriend in for a kiss.</p><p>Anne somehow went even redder than Cathy did, and when she pulled back, gave her a sheepish grin. And as if on cue, the sunlight streaming in from the glass doors to their patio stretched out to touch Cathy’s skin, the segmented planks of the wooden porch roof shattering its streamlined form and scattering shards of sunlight on her face and across her dark brown hair, turning them an ethereal gold.</p><p>Truly sunkissed, indeed.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I've been quite busy lately, so I'm afraid I won't be to post as much as my schedule says. I might get around to posting an au or headcanons on Tumblr next month, but no guarantees!</p><p>Merry Christmas!</p><p>Link to my secret santa's tumblr!<br/>https://tiredlesbian123.tumblr.com/<br/>Song is Sunkissed by Khai Dreams!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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